Second Chance
by andinify
Summary: "We can never turn back time. No one can. But we could have a second chance, one to make up for the time we've lost, things we didn't do, or even things we did but completely regret." The emphasis of the last instance didn't go unnoticed by Zach. / Major spoiler GG6. Zach/Townsend missing moment. One-shot.


_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Gallagher Girls series, or the all wonderful characters Ally made. Sadly, no. Forever no._

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"Honestly, I'm surprised Abby hasn't murdered you yet."

The older man glanced at the young man near him – the one who unbelievably all his flesh and blood, then back to where the seemed-to-be-sleeping-woman he was disgusted with the most on earth far beyond the glass barrier. As nonchalant as he could muster, he shrugged. "So am I. But she and predictable has never been in a good term before anyway. Ever."

The green-eyed teenage boy let out a snort. "Figures. Those Cameron women."

Surprisingly, Townsend chuckled. "Ah, yes. Abigail Cameron and Cameron Morgan. Of course."

There was nothing else for a moment afterwards. Both trained operative just remained quiet awkwardly as they ascended the stairs. Letting the silence heaved around them was nothing compared to the presence of the damned woman who connected them hot on their backs. But the awkwardness – it was much like in the car on their way to Gallagher Academy. Ironic, really, father and son dragging the woman who was his mother into custody, treating her like total sinister.

Well, partially because she really was a sinister. But really, could there be anymore uncomfortable bonding time with the father you had never known still alive your entire life, who then turned out to be the one who had been pretty constant and familiar to you?

Absentmindedly, the boy ran his hand through hair, as he caught the reflection of them in a nearby glass. Now, standing at the top of the stairs that spiral down to the room where Catherine was held in, were two persons who now he realized, quite resemble each other. Their postures, the set of jaws, the same constant expression etched on their respective faces, even far until the way they carry themselves. All the same, _father_ and _son_.

Zach kept thinking, why didn't he see this before? Townsend wasn't exactly a stranger he'd never met. Not exactly friends, more like an ally, though. He protected Cammie, even though at first for a whole different reason than why he did, but still. They had and served the same purpose, running toward the same goal, standing on the same side of the battle. The MI6 agent was someone he, admittedly, respected due to his plenty of experiences in field, and his determination on serving his cause.

But then to find out that the said man was his biologic father? Despite him being used to be able to manage and sort his thoughts right even in an urgent situation, this time, Zachary Goode was anything but.

Goode. He didn't even know if he actually wanted to change his surname now that he knew who his father is. After all, he hated his connection to Catherine. The bitch was anything but motherly to him. But to change it to Townsend? Zach wasn't even sure if the older agent wanted him as his son or not.

"Look, Zach, I could swear to you that I don't-"

He held up his hand, then slowly turned to face him. Edward Townsend. His father. The feeling was, to be honest, foreign. But not unwelcome.

"I know. I heard you when you told Abby that."

Townsend snorted. "I was yelling. Of course you'd be able to hear it."

He took a deep breath, and before Zach could reply, he had already continued. "But at the moment I was telling that to Abby. This time, I am telling _you_, Zach. That I could swear to you I had no idea about all this crap up until the second your mother broke this news to us all. If I had known, I would never abandon you with the kind of woman like her."

His brain told him not to believe what Townsend said. He could be lying. After all, it's what he does. What every single living agent like them do. They lie.

But his heart told him otherwise. The way he said it, it was sincere. With regrets seeping slowly, proving that Townsend might be telling the truth.

And to be frank, Zach really wished Townsend was telling the truth.

As if reading his mind, the older man sighed. "I know what you're thinking. I'm a professional agent. I lie. It's what people like us do. And I don't blame you if you don't trust me, but, Zach, do you think I'm the bad guy? Do you think I would have the heart to leave any kid to the likes of her?"

Zach looked up, and stared right through the depth in the blue eyes of the man in front of him. A small part of him wished he could get that color for his eyes instead of Catherine's green. Then he remember he was supposed to look for any sign of lie, or anything that might prove him wrong there; he couldn't.

So he shook his head and turned to look down on where they're holding Catherine.

"I trust you." His voice was a whisper in the void. To Townsend, it was like a relieving breath of fresh air.

Seeing Zach, a very bright and brilliant spy for his age, brought a surge of endless pride inside him, that this young man is his son. Sure, he didn't have any right to be proud like that, since Zach get none of all his skills from him. But nevertheless, he couldn't help it.

"Thank you, I suppose."

Zach merely nodded in response, not knowing what else was he supposed to say. He had thrown away his pride by coming here and stayed, talking to him. He could leave if he want to, but he didn't. Now it's all up to Townsend. Whether he wanted to acknowledge him as the son he'd never known nor intended he had, or shut him out completely and pretended Catherine had never said such thing. His eyes stared to the said woman down there, looking like she was finally home. Zach didn't like what he saw, though.

"Right. I've never done this in my entire life, but you're my son. So you're an exception." Townsend paused, seemingly collecting himself to find the best way to convey his thoughts. Unbeknownst to him, Zach was trying so hard to suppress the sudden burst of warmth spreading from his up to toe when Townsend claimed him as his son. Because whether he would ever admit this or not: a fatherly figure was all he always longed for his entire life, once he knew his mother is a psychotic, pathetic living creature.

Right this time, Zachary Goode allowed himself to hope.

"We can never turn back time. No one can. But we could have a second chance, one to make up for the time we've lost, things we didn't do, or even things we did but we completely regret."

The emphasis of the last instance didn't go unnoticed by Zach, but he kept quiet and stared at the man in front of him blankly. "You're saying?"

Townsend pursed his lips, and for a second Zach thought he would scold him for being such an ignorant. But he didn't. "What I'm saying is, maybe I did lose a very big and important part of your life. You're eighteen now, you and your friends have handled yourself well all on your own, and I can't say I'm unimpressed. To be honest, I'm proud of you. And because of that- despite that my not knowing or even intending for our business to end up this way, I don't want to miss out another moment of having you as my son, because in a world we're living in, we'll never know how much time we will ever have. Even who people would mean the most to us will be," he took a deep breath, then slowly brought his gaze to lock with Zach's.

The unspoken question and answer went through their locked gaze, and slowly Zach's signature smirk made its way to his face. "Well, that's the most honest and longest you've ever said to me."

Townsend's guarded expression fell away with that as he rolled his eyes.

Zach grinned, then straightened out his hand. "So, we have a deal?"

The older man frowned. "You make a deal with your father for him to really be your father?"

For the first time, Zach laughed. A light, airy laugh that brought a smile out of the older agent in front of him. "I'd never had one for the past eighteen years, so pardon my lack of experience in treating one."

Townsend rolled his eyes, but unexpectedly, threw his one arm around Zach's shoulder, catching him absolutely off guard. "Come on, enough with the formalities. I'm your dad, not your teacher."

And as the two ascended the remaining stairs out of the Sublevel Two, with Townsend's arm still around his son's shoulders, Catherine stared through the massive glass that separated her from the rest of the world. Unbeknownst to Zach and Townsend, she'd been watching all along, the interaction of the said two men in her life. And in spite of all of the hatred both possessed toward her, she smiled.

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_**A/N: **__Okay okay. So Gallagher Girls is over and I just-_

_I wanted to cry, but the tears didn't come. it's like I was numb, you know? And then the part that EDWARD BLOODY TOWNSEND is Zach's father was… well, shocking. Still trying to get my mind used to it, by the way._

_And yes, this is my interpretation on Zach and Townsend moment that didn't mentioned in the book. Feel free to drop a review!_

_**P.S. **__Some of you perhaps have read __**SmurfZXC714**__'s version of Zach/Townsend moment, and yes, I read that but I was only inspired by it to write my own version. To you guys who haven't read her story __**The Guy's Roadtrip**__, you really should!_


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